- By coming together in a single forum, VCs can work towards a more cohesive and resilient higher education system that benefits all stakeholders.
- Harmonising standards across the sector has become more challenging when institutions operate in silos, potentially leading to discrepancies in educational outcomes.
- Separate forums have made it hard to tackle these national priorities in a unified and effective manner, potentially widening divides between public and private universities and leading to polarisation within the sector.
Vice-Chancellors (VCs) play a pivotal role in shaping the direction and success of the universities they lead. As the chief executive, they are responsible for providing visionary leadership, managing academic programmes, and ensuring financial sustainability.
They oversee faculty development, research, and student affairs, all while maintaining the institution’s reputation and integrity. Typically, VCs have a platform in the name of Vice-Chancellors Forum, which brings them together and is vital for tackling challenges, advancing academic standards, and promoting sustainable development in universities.
In the dynamic world of higher education, VCs Forums play a critical role in shaping the future of universities. These gatherings of the highest-ranking officials from universities provide a platform to discuss pressing issues, share experiences, benchmark on matters, and strengthen collaboration on a strategic level.
However, in Kenya, the existence of separate VCs forums for public and private universities, despite both types of institutions being governed by the same law — Universities Act of 2012, has raised concerns about the disconnection of the higher education sector and its impact on policy implementation, resource allocation, and quality assurance.
The separation of VCs Forums, has resulted in several challenges that may have weakened the higher education sector as a whole.
One of the most significant issues has been the fragmentation of the sector. With two separate forums, there has been a lack of a unified voice when advocating for national education policies.
Though public and private universities often face different challenges and operate under different models, leading to distinct agendas, this fragmentation has made it difficult to address sector-wide issues collectively, hence weakening the collective bargaining and influence of the higher education sector.
The division has also posed challenges in policy implementation. The Universities Act is meant to regulate all universities uniformly. Separate forums has led to inconsistent interpretations and applications of the Act.
Differing Standards
This has resulted in discrepancies in how policies have been implemented across public and private institutions. During my tenure as a VC of a private university, I witnessed policy bias when government bodies chose to engage more with public universities’ VCs Forum over the private universities one, leading to inequality within the higher education system.
The impact on quality assurance has also been significant. Separate forums has resulted in differing standards of quality assurance between public and private universities, affecting the overall quality of higher education in the country.
Harmonising standards across the sector has become more challenging when institutions operate in silos, potentially leading to discrepancies in educational outcomes.
In addition, the division has limited opportunities for collaboration and innovation. A unified forum could enhance synergy between the two divides, allowing them to leverage each other’s strengths. Separate forums, on the other hand, has reduced the potential for such synergies to develop, hindering innovation and the sharing of best practices across the sector.
The challenges posed by separate VCs Forums has extended to national priorities as well. Issues such as access to education, employability of graduates, and national development goals often require a coordinated approach across the entire higher education sector.
Separate forums have made it hard to tackle these national priorities in a unified and effective manner, potentially widening divides between public and private universities and leading to polarisation within the sector.
In terms of governance and leadership, separate forums has had limited opportunities for cross-learning and mentorship between leaders in different types of institutions. A unified forum could provide valuable opportunities for them to learn from each other.
Policy Development
Many a times, attempts to have consultative joint meetings for the two forums have been fruitless. At such times, the public universities VCs Forum has behaved in a manner likely to suggest that their private counterpart was inferior, which is unhealthy for the country’s university sub-sector.
To create a unified VCs Forum in Kenya’s universities, stakeholders need to establish a platform that pushes for collaboration and dialogue among the heads of institutions across the divide.
This forum would provide a platform for the VCs to share best practices, address common challenges, and influence policy development in higher education. Key to its success would be a clear governance structure, regular meetings, and an agenda focused on promoting academic excellence, research, and sustainable development.
Such a forum could also strengthen relationships between universities and the Ministry of Education, driving coordinated efforts toward improving the quality of higher education in Kenya.
A unified VCs forum in Kenya’s public and private universities could address a range of critical issues affecting higher education. Among these are the university education funding model, students’ placement, to share innovative strategies, address systemic issues such as funding and quality assurance, and work collectively.
Effective Collaboration
The forum could also tackle governance challenges, such as transparency and accountability, as well as advocate for policies that promote academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
Additionally, the forum would be instrumental in addressing the mismatch between graduates’ skills and labour market demands, enhancing research funding, and strengthening collaboration between universities. This could bridge gaps in education quality and drive collective action on national development goals.
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While separate VCs Forums for public and private universities may address specific needs within each sector, the challenges posed by this division cannot be ignored.
A more unified approach could strengthen the higher education sector in Kenya, ensuring that all universities, regardless of their ownership, can collaborate effectively, advocate for their needs, and contribute to national development goals.
By coming together in a single forum, VCs can work towards a more cohesive and resilient higher education system that benefits all stakeholders.
